I get that you can’t control when a sneeze will happen, but that terribly loud yelling that happens at the end of sneezing? Totally controllable. Likewise, the “AHHHHHHHHH” buildup is totally unnecessary and just makes you look like you’re a weird loser who fails at sneezing. Congratulations to you.

A couple days ago I was on a walk with Mannie when I heard this loud, high-pitched scream. I started looking around and checking my surroundings for the culprit. It was only then that I realized it was a woman’s sneezing as she walked by.

“Allergies, huh? They’re the worst!” she said as she bypassed me. I wanted to say, “and so are your sneezes” but I figured that’d be a tad snarky. The woman already has to live her life with what is the most humiliating sneeze ever. She doesn’t need a random woman’s insult.

The point is? Don’t sneeze like you’re screaming bloody murder. Cut down on the noise level about 143 notches. And don’t sheepishly blame “allergies” because we all have allergies yet we don’t all sneeze like we’re being murdered by a masked man wielding an axe.

But I digress.

A couple days ago, my dad wanted me to make some more of my Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Brownie Bombs but it was creeping on 100 degrees outside and I was not about to turn on that oven. But then it hit me: I could totally make no-bake bombs with a couple of simple ingredient swaps. And thus, these No-Bake Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Brownie Bombs were born.

The secret? Prepared brownie bites, which you can find in the bakery department of nearly all grocery stores. These little fudgy wonders are what sandwich the cookie dough filling and make the bombs extra rich and special. Pure deliciousness!

First, make your dough: in the bowl of a stand mixer fixed with the paddle attachment, cream together the butter, brown sugar and white sugar until creamy, about 2 minutes. Beat in the milk and vanilla. Lastly, beat in the salt and flour until a soft dough has formed. Stir in ONE (1) cup of the chocolate chips.

Take a brownie bite and place a rounded Tablespoon of dough on top of the brownie bite. Gently sandwich with another brownie bite, forming a sandwich. Place on a foil-lined baking sheet and repeat with remaining sandwiches. There should be about 20-21 total. Pop in the freezer for about 30 minutes - 1 hour or until firm.

Once firmed, melt the CandiQuik according to package directions until smooth. Dunk each brownie bomb into the CandiQuik, coating it completely with the chocolate, and return it gently to the foil-lined baking sheet. Top with the chocolate chips.

Allow chocolate to harden before serving. Store leftover bombs in fridge for about 3 days, or in freezer for about 1 month.

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I’d like to preface this by saying I typically loathe blackberries with an intense passion.

(I know, right? I am weird. Newsflash of the century, really).

This probably has to do with the fact that I am pretty sure they are the berries I stuffed my face with in my freshman year of high school from the mystery bush that protruded from a backyard onto the field where we had P.E. I remember feeling very strange after that, so maybe they weren’t blackberries after all but instead some strange hallucinogenic berry I consumed. Or poison.

ANYWHO.

And then there’s the fact that I had this ex boyfriend who like, loved blackberries. He always talked about going blackberry picking in Washington and bought handfuls of pints at Trader Joe’s. Because I really liked him, I tried to really like blackberries. I mean, tried as hard as I tried to like going to the gym (which he also liked to do), tried to like wearing tank tops (which I feel only enhance my broad shoulders), and tried to like getting pedicures (which he didn’t like to do, but I feel so weird about doing for some unknown reason).

Shocker of the year? It didn’t work. I never could get there mentally. So I threw out all my tank tops and gave up liking blackberries. C’est la vie.

But, since I like YOU and you probably like blackberries (as most of the population does), I decided to make YOU these blondie bombs bursting with blackberry goodness. Note that these are actual blackberries, not mystery fruit from your high school’s track field. This is an important factor here.

These Blackberry Pie Blondie Bombs start off like this: a fudgy, brown sugary blondie is wrapped around a teensy piece of crisp and juicy blackberry pie. Then the whole thing is dunked under a blanket of white chocolate and adorned with a single blackberry. Simple, beautiful, and scrumptious. And? I liked them. I actually liked them. Probably because it involved pie, but whatever. I liked them. Tank tops? Still no. Gym? HA.

For these bombs, I used those simple $1 handpies you can find at any supermarket or convenience store – you know the ones in the crinkly paper wrapper. You can use any fruit-based pie you’d like and I’m particularly drawn to the idea of using apple or cherry, but for this I used a mixed berry which tastes more blackberry-ish than anything else. Again, any fruit filling will work. Leave the chocolate and banana cream for yourself for now, save the fruity stuff for bombing later.

Also? The verb ‘bombing’ totally works here since we’re making blondie bombs. In case you were wondering.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Liberally grease a 13x9" baking pan with cooking spray; set aside. In a large microwave-safe bowl, melt the butter. Stir in the brown sugar to combine. Stir in the eggs and vanilla extract until combined. Lastly, add in the flour and pinch of salt until a thick batter has formed.

Spread the batter evenly into the prepared pan and bake for 20 minutes. Remove from oven and cool completely.

While blondies cool, prepare your pies. Cut each hand pie into 6 equal pieces so you have a total of 18. You'll only need 15 for this, so eat the extra three :) Place them on a foil-lined baking sheet and freeze until completely solid.

Cut each blondie into about 1-2" square. Flatten it in the palm of your hand and wrap it around a frozen pie piece, rolling it in your hand to pinch the blondies around the pie to seal it. Return to the baking sheet and freeze until firm, about 30 minutes.

Melt the CandiQuik according to package directions. Drop each bomb into the melted white chocolate and coat completely, allowing excess to drip off. Return to the baking sheet and immediately garnish with a blackberry. Bombs can be stored in the fridge (with berries on top) for 2 days or room temperature for up to 1 day.

These are so fruity, sweet and perfectly spiced from the buttery blondies, the crisp pie crust and the juicy brightness of the blackberries. You could also drizzle these with chocolate for a prettier look and for a contrast in flavor and color.

Hope you have a sweet day!

xo, Hayley

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I have a sweet tooth, but I find them to be a little cloying sometimes. I can do one — maybe two — of the mini ones before calling it a night. Stopping at two candies a night? That’s unheard of around these parts.

But have you ever noticed when you add more sweetness, things somehow become a little less sweet? It’s science, babe, and it’s happening here.

Miss ‘I-Can-Only-Eat-Two-Cadbury-Eggs’ over here can easily polish off a basket full of these Cadbury Creme Egg Brownie Bombs. They’re a spin-off of my very first (and still extremely popular) Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Brownie Bombs. Except, instead of cookie dough, we’re using Mini Cadbury Creme Eggs for that Easter flair. And in my eyes, the brownie kind of helps cut the sugary fondant center of the infamous eggs, if that makes any sense. Brownies to the rescue!

These Cadbury Creme Egg Brownie Bombs have the miniature Cadbury Creme Egg in the middle of all this chaos. The next layer is a fudgy baked brownie. It’s simple: bake your fudge brownies, then press them gently in your hand, then wrap ’em around the Cadbury egg – kind of like a brownie heating blanket. (Side note: we should market those). Then we coat the whole tamale in white chocolate and sprinkles, because sprinkles are scientifically proven to make life infinitely better.

The result? This madness. I’m not sorry.

Anywho. These little brownie bombs are the perfect treat for Easter gift baskets, mini goodies for coworkers or friends, or just because.

Line a rimmed baking sheet with wax paper or a silicone liner; set aside.

Take a brownie square in your hand and, using the heel of your hand, gently compress the brownie flat. Take a Cadbury Mini Egg and wrap it with the brownie, rolling and pinching the brownie in your hands until it covers the mini egg completely. Mold into an egg-shape if possible. Set on the baking sheet. Repeat with remaining eggs.

Once all the bombs are made, freeze them for about 30 minutes to firm up.

Melt the CandiQuik according to package directions, until smooth. Dip each brownie bomb into the CandiQuik with a fork, coating it completely. Allow excess to drip off and return to the baking sheet. Repeat with remaining brownie bombs.

Once all bombs are coated, spoon the remaining CandiQuik into a small resealable plastic baggy. Seal out the air, snip off a corner of the bag, and drizzle the remaining CandiQuik over the coated brownie bombs. Immediately top with sprinkles. Allow chocolate to set before serving.

You guuuuyysss. These bombs are soooo sweet and rich; the perfect Easter treat! Feel free to coat them with regular Chocolate CandiQuik if you’d like, but I like the Vanilla CandiQuik for an extra sweet touch to play off the fondant filling of the eggs. These are so fun!

Have a sweet weekend!!

xo, Hayley

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Yesterday, I did a grown-uppy thing: I got a queen-size bed!! This is pretty exciting news seeing that I have been sleeping on a twin for my entire life and finally feel like I’ve surpassed some grown-up right-of-passage with my grown-up bed.

Basically what I’m trying to say is, I’m a big girl now!

So out of nowhere, my parents decided to graciously treat my me and my sister to brand new beds. We headed to the mattress stores to check out our options which basically consisted of my eyeballs popping out of my head upon seeing the price some people pay for a mattress. Unless it has a built-in toilet and mini fridge, I’m not interested.

Anywho, so my sister and I were checking out our options when the mattress lady came by and asked what we were up to, as if we were random strangers intruding in her large home filled with an extensive collection of partially used mattresses. After we assuaged her nerves and reminded her we were shopping for mattresses, she seemed to calm down some & wanted to know who was looking. My mom said, “these two” and the woman took that as the perfect opportunity to call us “the kids” from there forward.

I’m sorry, but there comes a time in a person’s life when they pass the ‘kid’ threshold and are called by their names, or by anything other than “kid.” Excuse me, lady, but I pay taxes. And I have tattoos. And my own car. Which basically means I’m an adult in every sense of the word. Who cares if my mom is buying me a mattress? YOU DON’T KNOW ME.

And mind you, there tends to be an age where people call anyone under 65 a ‘kid’ or ‘kiddo’, but this woman clearly was not in that bracket and was only slightly older than myself which definitely does not give her the elderly right-of-passage to call anyone a ‘kiddo’ and wear adult diapers.

The worst part was after she called us ‘kids’, she asked our ages and when I said ’23’ she STILL called me a ‘kid’ after that! It’s like, excuse me, but I’m definitely not a kid. Just because I watched Little Einsteins on TV a few days ago doesn’t mean anything! Because first of all, the gym had it on for some reason and as far as I’m concerned, it was far more interesting than watching CNN. And last I checked, ‘kids’ cannot vote, abuse a Target credit card or order drinks at the bar with a cute guy who was as interested in me as someone would be with a used napkin [his loss].

Anyway, I have my big-girl mattress now so I don’t need her judgments. Plus, she’s probably just bitter because she didn’t have one of these incredible Over the Rainbow Brownie Bombs!!

With St. Patrick’s Day approaching, I knew I wanted something rainbow for this lucky little holiday. By combining one of my favorite recipes, my Rainbow Truffles, with my classic Brownie Bomb recipe, I made one super bright and ultra fun bomb that everyone will love! Plus, while it looks intimidating, it’s super easy and fun to make with the kids — just a little labor intensive, but worth the wait 😀

If you ever wondered what was over the rainbow, it’s brownies. And cake. And queen-sized mattresses. Now eat up, kid!!

These adorable rainbow brownie bombs are perfect for St. Patrick's Day and are a fun dessert to make with the kids! Have them roll the rainbow cake to make the cake balls, or decorate the tops with the gummy rainbow candy!

Prepare the Rainbow Truffles according to the recipe provided; freeze the truffles until solid. Meanwhile, take a brownie and using the heel of your hand, gently flatten the brownie into a flat plane.

Wrap the brownie gently around the cake ball, rolling it in your palm and pinching the brownie around the truffle to cover. Place the brownie covered truffles back onto the baking sheet and freeze once more, for about 15 minutes or until firm.

Prepare the Candiquik according to package directions. I used ONE drop of liquid blue food coloring into my Candiquik just to give it a little blue tint, but this is optional. Once the Candiquik has melted and is smooth, dip each brownie bomb into the mixture, coating completely and allowing excess to drip off.

Place on the baking sheet and, working quickly, take a halved rainbow candy strip and arc it on top of the brownie bomb. You may need to carefully hold it in place for a few seconds so the edges of the rainbow don't droop down the wet chocolate. Going as fast as possible, lightly press a small pinch of miniature marshmallow bits onto the edges of each rainbow to create the clouds. Repeat with remaining bombs.

Aren’t these the cutest?! Yes, they require some work, but the payoff is a sweet, fun and unique treat that is sure to put a smile on everyone’s face! No one can resist the fudgy, one-of-a-kind taste of a brownie bomb, and everyone will fall for the bright, sunny surprise of a rainbow cake ball hidden inside! Plus, this is a great chance to engage the kids in helping with rolling the cake balls and decorating the outside. Can’t find the rainbow gummy strip candy? You could also use rainbow sprinkles, miniature M&M’s or rainbow colored pearl sprinkles or candies like Sixlets to decorate the tops of the bombs. However you make ’em, they’re guaranteed to brighten your day!!

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Yesterday I took my sister to a concert and had to stand in line for two hours with a bunch of teenagers with thick black eyeliner and who swore gratuitously. Now, I am an eyeliner-lovin’ fool and I have a mouth like a sailor, but I guess when you’re 15 (and it’s true) you will wear and swear as much as humanly possible when you aren’t near your parents. And apparently wear some questionable clothes that even the most seasoned lady of the night may balk at. But I digress.

While standing in line I had to hear an abundance of lame stories about typical teenage drama mixed with seventeen year olds walking up and down the line asking everyone if they could “bum a smoke” in that scratchy, jaded-teenager voice. Everyone — even if they tried so hard to hide it — looked super excited to see the bands and I had a weird flashback of when I was seventeen and enjoyed going to concerts, staying out late and wearing fifty pounds of eyeliner for fun.

Now my idea of fun is totally boring to the average human who doesn’t want to spend the rest of their life watching Criminal Minds reruns on Ion Television (but if that is your idea of fun, call me *wink*). I don’t do clubs because they’re too loud, too crowded and too swarmed with men who spend more time getting ready than I do. Also, clubs remind me of Jersey Shore which reminds me that being in the same vicinity of people like that will probably up my chances of dying of a fatal case of herpes by 26.

I also dislike the movies for multiple reasons, mainly because my rage bubbles over like a fountain of hatred when I hear people talking during the film, and because going to the movies has to be the lamest date ever. I mean, how am I supposed to get to know someone if we’re silent for two hours? My only judgment is basically based on what kind of candy they choose and wow, he is willing to donate his right lung for a box of stale Sour Patch Kids?

And then there’s the adventure-seeking kinda places like Lazer Tag and Mini Golf. I would totally do that except for the fact that spending time with a bunch of 11 year old boys running around in glow-in-the-dark hunting gear isn’t usually my idea of a fun time, and also because there’s this really scary miniature golf course by my house that I’m pretty sure houses homeless people, nuclear weaponry, or at least some roadkill carcasses. I think it was built shortly before the war of 1812 because the last time I was there, I swung a normal golf-y swing at my ball and it created a 6-foot fissure along that course into the scary Hansel-and-Gretel-looking mini house that ate our balls (ha, ha) and never returned them. Also because the prizes in the arcade were weird things like a jack in the box which hasn’t been the top toy since approximately 1900.

So I bet you’re wondering ‘well, what does this old hag like to do for “fun” since she seems to avoid all things pleasant like the bubonic plague.” And to that I say: Criminal Minds marathons. Making huuuuuuge cups of sprinkle-infested frozen yogurt. Nature walks. Smothering animals with kisses and baby noises. Food — OBVIOUSLY. And I’m not a total crust because I also love to bowl. I don’t know why, but whenever the prospect of bowling is involved I get super jazzed. Like, “OMG WE’RE GOING BOWLING?! YESS!!! CAN WE DO UNLIMITED GAMES?! CAN WE STAY FOR THE NEXT 24 HOURS?!” like I’ve never been to a bowling alley before. And usually bowling alleys are filled with homeless people, 11 year olds and probably nuclear weaponry, because no one would suspect nukes hiding underneath some dilapidated snack bar that serves cold chili cheese fries to people clearly tweaking on some kind of illegal substance. It’s the perfect place!!

Anyway, I also enjoy celebrating being alive [sometimes] in a world that consists of haunted golf courses and teenage boys wearing more eyeliner than your standard drag queen. And the perfect way to celebrate life as we know it is by stuffing face senselessly with some Birthday Cake Blondie Bombs! What in the world is this concoction? Bassssically the best thing ever, but if that doesn’t clear it up for you: it’s a cake pop smothered in a chewy blondie, then coated in white chocolate and plenty of sprinkles, aka, the best thing ever. This is for all you party people (and poopers!) because this bomb doesn’t discriminate — it’s fun and tasty for everyone!

Cake or frosting? Why choose when you can have this adorable Birthday Cake Blondie Bomb?! A yummy cake pop stuffed inside of a chewy blondie, then coated in white chocolate and plenty of sprinkles. Every day is a reason to celebrate!

Ingredients

2 sticks butter, melted

2 cups brown sugar

2 eggs

1 Tbsp vanilla extract

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp salt

12 cake balls/cake pops, prepared (you can make your own of course, or you can buy premade cake pops/cake balls. I found some frozen vanilla cake balls at Walmart and used these)

In a large bowl, stir together the melted butter and brown sugar until combined. Stir in the eggs, one at a time, followed by the vanilla extract until combined. Lastly, gradually add the flour, baking soda and salt until a soft dough forms.

Spread the dough evenly into the prepared pan and bake for approx. 20 minutes or until the edges begin to slightly pull away from the pan and the center is light brown and appears set. Cool completely.

Cut the blondies into about 1-2" squares and flatten them with the heel of your hand carefully. Wrap each blondie around a cake pop and roll it in your hands to help seal the blondie around the cake pop, pinching any gaps to seal. Place the blondie bombs onto a foil-lined baking sheet. Repeat with remaining cake pops/blondies. You should have 12 bombs with some remaining blondies to eat -- yay!

Freeze the blondie bombs for about 30 minutes to set. While the bombs are setting, melt the Candiquik per package directions. Dip the bombs into the white chocolate allowing excess to drip off. Immediately sprinkle with jimmies, if you'd like. Serve!

If you love birthday cake, these are officially your new favorite brownie bombs! Soft, moist cake pops rolled into chewy, brown-sugary blondies and coated in creamy white chocolate — it tastes just like cake in a delectable, adorable brownie bomb form! I love that this recipe calls for prepared cake pops because that makes these so much easier to whip up than making your own cake pops. There’s nothing I loathe more than all the baking, crumbling, mixing and rolling, so using something prepared and ready to jazz up makes this recipe come together in a snap! Plus, the homemade blondie recipe is stunningly delicious. You guys will love it and be so glad there’s a few leftover squares

Want more bomb-diggity Brownie Bomb recipes? Look no further! I am the original creator of these tasty, unique treats!

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You know that time when you went to meet a friend for coffee at a quaint coffee chain that may or may not rhyme with “Marclucks” and you two spent three hours catching up over large iced teas and then you felt that sudden OMFG WHERE IS THE BATHROOM moment, only to get up and realize that there is a huuuuuge line outside of the women’s single-stall restroom?

Dude. We’ve all been there. You’re squirming awkwardly like a newborn baby deer because you can’t help the OHMYGAWDDD feeling inside, but the squirming makes the feeling even worse, rendering you basically useless as a human being for those critical moments. People say they can get mean when they’re hungry… well, I get mean when I need to pee like a racehorse. Don’t eeeeeeven think about talking to me because I will probably start swearing uncontrollably and then urinate all over myself. Dammit, maybe I shouldn’t have told you that.

Anywaaaays, while seizing in the middle of Starbucks waiting impatiently for the bathroom, I peeked around the corner and noticed that the single-stall men’s restroom was empty. I turned — only to see more women behind me — nary a male specimen in sight. So I did what any rational-thinking, full-bladdered person would do: I approached the empty men’s room.

Before secluding myself in my safe haven, I turned to offer the room to the women before me, as if showing them it was socially acceptable in these circumstances to violate gender rules. But they just looked at me like I was swearing uncontrollably and urinating on myself.

By the time I had finished, washed up and exited the restroom, the same line stood before me. Again, I surveyed the women, daring them with my eyes to use the men’s restroom — it’s 2014, dammit — liberate yourselves and your bowels! — but they just looked at me quizzically and didn’t budge.

So, my question is: would YOU bend gender rules and use an empty men’s room? Or is this like, incredibly taboo and I just set a voodoo hex on our human race by peeing in the male washroom? I guess we’ll never know.

I’d hope you know what baklava is, but if you don’t, let me inform ya: baklava is a delicious dessert popular in Greece and the Middle East. It consists of layers of flaky, butter-soaked phyllo dough, spices and chopped mixed nuts. After being baked, a sweet honey lemon syrup is poured over the scored pastry to soak into all the crispy layers. This sweet treat is a favorite dessert during the holidays but can usually be found year-round at specialty grocery stores in the bakery case, or sometimes in the frozen food aisle. And if you can’t seem to track down this intoxicatingly sweet concoction, thankfully it’s relatively easy to make.

But we aren’t dishing it up solo today — we’re stuffing it inside of fudgy brownies, then topping it with a creamy white chocolate, chopped pecans and festive gold sprinkles. The result is a unique dessert combination that will wow your face off. Guaranteed.

These baklava stuffed brownie bombs combine the classic flavors of the Middle East with the contemporary brownie bomb concoction!

Ingredients

12 (1" square) pieces of baklava

1 13x9" pan fudge brownies, baked and cooled

1 pkg white Candiquik or other candy coating

½ cup chopped pecans

Gold sprinkles, optional

Instructions

Cut the pan of brownies into 12 squares, about 1-2" in size. Take a brownie and flatten it gently in the heel of your hand.

Place a square of baklava in the middle of the flattened brownie and gently begin wrapping the brownie around the baklava piece to cover it. Place the coated baklava bomb onto a foil-lined baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining baklava pieces. More than likely you will not be using the edges of the brownies as they are too crispy to flatten easily; discard the edges or eat them :)

Freeze the brownie bombs for about 15 minutes or until firm. Meanwhile, melt the Candiquik according to directions until smooth and melted. Set aside.

Dip the brownie bombs into the white chocolate using a fork. Allow excess to drip off. Return the bomb to the baking sheet and immediately top with chopped pecans and gold sprinkles. Let chocolate set before serving.

Bombs can be stored airtight at room temperature, or can be frozen. At room temperature, they stay good for about 4-5 days but are best enjoyed the day of or day after.

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A few days ago, I was invited to one of my best friend’s son’s birthday party. He was turning 3.

Prior to the event, however, I was having irrational anxiety about a 3 year old’s birthday.

I spent a good hour browsing the boy toy aisles in Target trying to find the perfect toy for a child I didn’t really know. Actually, I don’t really know any children and always make it painfully obvious when I unknowingly ‘insult’ the children and/or parent.

Example: a parent will say “Oh, Billy is starting to crawl now! He’s only 11 months old!” and I’m like “really? He’s crawling at 11 months?” and then the parent proceeds to give me the death glare like how dare you insult my crawling baby.

Or they’ll say, “Sasha is finally potty trained! It came two months after her third birthday!” and I sit there like “she was finally potty trained at three? Dude, isn’t she supposed to be like, writing novels and collecting paychecks at three?”

Just so you know, I know nooooothing about babies. When they’re supposed to crawl. When it’s prodigal of them to read. When the typical walking time frame is, etc. If I question your baby, it’s just because still pooping your pants at two seems too old, or walking at six months or whatever seems insane. I have no clue. I promise I am not insulting your child.

So you can imagine my fear as I shopped for a toy for a three-year old. What do three-year olds like? The last time I shopped for a little boy toy was when I was buying Hot Wheels and Thomas the Tank Engine stuff for my younger brother… about fifteen years ago. And even then, I was too stuck up in glittery Barbie-girl world to even notice what boys played with. GI Joes? Legos? Hell if I know, just pass me my Skipper doll, dammit.

Anyway, I asked approximately 14 strangers in the toy aisle what typical three-year olds liked, and all of them looked at me like I was a scary weirdo who drove a windowless minivan. Would NERF guns be too violent? Would puzzles be too advanced? Are standard Legos a death-sentence for a three year old? I DON’T KNOW MAN.

Eventually, I found a little handheld video game thingie based off of one of Disney’s latest movies and figured it was pretty safe for a three year old. No potential choking hazards, nothing rocket science-y, and most importantly, not a Barbie which I was pretty much 99% convinced I would buy him instead because I had just about given up on this boy toy thing. But as I walked around with it in my cart, I began to second guess my gift-buying abilities. I did what any sane person would do: text the mother of said child and unknowingly insult her.

“Hey…” I typed, “do you think a video game thing would be too advanced for him? I mean, it says 3 and up but I’m not sure. It has them do puzzles and reading. Can your kid read yet? I mean, not yet, but can he? I mean, I’m not judging him, I just wondered. Would he have the capacity to understand puzzles? Or technology? I didn’t mean that he’s not capable, I just don’t even know what a three year old can do. Wait, he can walk, right?”

Thankfully, we’re good enough friends that she didn’t think I was totally making her kid out to be some inept weirdo who sat on his hands all day. Aaaand he loved his present, which was more important. I only had to accost 27 people in Target regarding appropriate gift-giving for toddlers.

Allll this shopping & stuff makes me think of the holidays, holiday shopping and of course, holiday fooooood. I am a total fan of everything holiday related but holiday food is my favorite by far. Turkey and stuffing sandwiches loaded with cranberry, mashed potatoes smothered in rich brown gravy, green bean casserole topped with crispy onion strings, and of course — PIE! While pumpkin is traditional for Thanksgiving, I thought of taking this classic Thanksgiving table staple and twisting it up by stuffing it inside of one of my famous brownie bombs. The result of luscious, creamy pumpkin pie stuffed inside of a rich, fudgy brownie and coated in chocolate is simply heavenly — especially when topped with a flaky, buttery pie crust leave for embellishment.

These brownie bombs are sure to be a huge hit after the big feast — just make sure you save room for one or five

Skip the pain of making a pie from scratch and make these heavenly Pumpkin Pie Brownie Bombs instead! They get some help from a store-bought pie and turn this classic staple into a fun, holiday twist!

Ingredients

1 store-bought pumpkin pie (I used a slightly thawed one from the frozen section)

1 13x9" pan fudge brownies, baked and cooled

1 pkg white chocolate Candiquik

Fall sprinkles (I used yellow & orange non-pareils)

Prepared pie crust (refrigerated or homemade -- you only need about ½ of a sheet)

Instructions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Line a small baking sheet with foil and mist it lightly with cooking spray. On a floured work surface, cut out the pie crust using small cookie cutters into desired shapes. For this, I used a miniature leaf, but a small pumpkin would be cute, too! Space the cut-out pie crust evenly on the prepared baking sheet. Bake for approx. 10 minutes or until just lightly browned. Cool completely.

Prepare another foil-lined baking sheet. Using a cookie dough scoop, scoop out Tablespoon-sized balls of the pumpkin pie -- crust and all, if you can. Place the balls on the baking sheet -- you should get around 10-15 or so. Discard or eat remaining pumpkin pie. Freeze the pie balls in the freezer for about 30 minutes or until firm.

Meanwhile, cut the brownies into approx. 1" squares. Flatten each square in the heel of your hand and wrap it around each pie ball, covering the ball completely with brownie. If some of the pie peeks out, that's okay too. Return the brownie-covered balls to the freezer to set for another 10-15 mins.

Prepare the Candiquik according to package directions until smooth & melted. Stir in the sprinkles if you'd like. Dip each brownie bomb into the chocolate, allowing excess to drip off. Return to the baking sheet and immediately top with a pie crust leave. Allow the chocolate to set before serving. Store refrigerated or frozen.

If you are looking to switch up this year’s Thanksgiving spread, these brownie bombs are the perfect alternative to classic pie. Instead of slaving over the perfect pie (just crimping the crust is enough to give me anxiety), get a hand from a store-bought pie and jazz it up with a layer of fudgy, rich milk chocolate brownies coated in smooth white chocolate. If you want to spice things up, consider adding a pinch of cinnamon or pumpkin pie spice to the white chocolate after melting to give it a nice, warm hint of flavor. Or if you’re short on time, save any remaining pie crust from the actual pumpkin pie and crumble it on top of the bombs for a rustic garnish — no baking necessary! These bombs are sure to please family & friends this holiday season!!!

So when my coworkers said there was this really cool and beautiful nature walk just down the street that wrapped around the building and could be easily walked during lunch, I was intrigued to get hiking.

My work BFF Layla and I had spotted some people walking the trail every so often and finally one day we decided to do it. We headed that direction, flats on our feet, determination in the air around us, and the desire to see beautiful nature in the middle of our hectic day.

Everything was fine and dandy as we walked the trail until… until it ended. The little path just straight up stopped abruptly and beyond it there was slight foot-traffic trail embedded underneath all of the overgrown weeds and shrubs. Layla and I kinda looked at each other confusedly, but decided to continue on.

Well, I don’t know what people’s definitions of “cool” and “beautiful” entail, because if this trail was considered beautiful in their eyes, their brain would probably explode when they saw a topless picture of Ryan Gosling. Now that’s beautiful. This trail.. or lack thereof.. was not.

First of all, the shrubs were all overgrown and prickly — those kinda shrubs that stick to you when you walk, no matter what you’re wearing. Second of all, the “view” was basically a yellow, dead field with little snake holes dotted throughout, so it was more like a playing field for a crappy, real-life game of whack-a-mole… except instead of whacking moles, rattlesnakes were biting your ankles which meant you were sorely losing.

And third, it was basically a place where dragonflies came to die, as I spotted more dragonfly carcasses than I could count. I figured the dragonflies were probably told by their friends that this was a cool place to check out, so they went and were like “dude, WTF, those people are insane and I’m never trusting their judgment again” and then they straight up keeled over and died because the trail was so lame.

Anyway, Layla and I ended up hoofing this trail in about a half hour and returned to work dripping with sweat, stuck with weedy stickers, the smell of dead dragonflies on our clothes. We both made a mental note to never listen to exercise advice from our coworkers again, because clearly we were missing the beauty and coolness from the ever-so-popular trail.

I can think of one thing that pretty much everyone unanimously thinks is beautiful and cool: macarons. Whether you think they’re too pretty to eat, too complicated to make, too special to have every day, special enough for everyday, or whether or not you’re human, you probably enjoy consuming macarons like I do. I had my first macaron at Bouchon in NYC, and since then I’ve been dreaming of these crunchy, elegant cookie sandwiches.

However.. have you tried making macarons? Duuuude, they are like rocket science. Or maybe I’m just really stupid. Whatever you think, it involves a precise science — measuring things to exact amounts, baking at a finite time and temperature. Very exact. And I am very… all over the place, the antithesis of a patient macaron. So I just daydream of them.. and dream of stuffing them inside of brownie bombs.

Cut the pan of brownies into approx. 1" sized squares. Flatten one square gently in the heel of your hand.

Wrap the flattened brownie around a still-frozen macaron, gently rolling the brownie around the macaron to seal it in. Roll out the bumps with your hands and place on a foil-rimmed baking sheet. Repeat with remaining bombs.

Freeze the bombs for approx. 15-20 minutes or until firm. While freezing, prepare the Candiquik according to package directions until melted.

Dip each bomb into the Candiquik, coating it completely and allowing excess to drip off. Return the bombs to the baking sheet. In a sifter, gently sift the cocoa powder/powdered sugar on top of the bombs.

Store airtight, at room temperature, for a couple days. Or likewise, store them covered in the freezer for several weeks, thawing before consuming.

I love the combination of textures in this bomb–the soft, chewy brownie surrounding the crispy, crunchy macaron and the smooth coating of white chocolate on the outside. It tastes so sumptuous and decadent!

Macarons come in all kinds of flavors (personally, I’m partial to pistachio or the Fruity Pebbles kind from Dana’s Bakery), so feel free to experiment with different kinds stuffed inside of these fudgy, rich brownie bombs. Orange and raspberry would be SO yummy, or try pistachio-stuffed bombs with a cherry-white chocolate coating for a fun twist on spumoni, one of my fave ice cream flavors. You can find the miniature macarons in the frozen section at Trader Joe’s, or try picking up a dozen at specialty bakeries or supermarkets like Whole Foods and freezing them briefly before filling your bombs.

Have a delicious day!!

xo, Hayley

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In elementary school, I would hop from group to group, trying so desperately to latch onto a girl and coerce her into a friendship with me. I would invite her over to play Barbies or swim every chance I could, and I would pass her notes in class and split my Gushers with her. That is, until she probably thought I was a stalker-in-training and ditched me for someone cooler.. like the girl who claimed she knew Mary-Kate and Ashley (spoiler: she doesn’t. I know this now).

I had a lot of friend troubles as a kid because the groups I played with fought a ton over stupid crap like who-likes-who-more, and comparing everyone’s reading skill level. Or probably the weird fact that Lil Stalker Hayley resented one of her friends because her friend could afford the L’Oreal shampoo in the fish bottle and my mom wouldn’t buy it for me. Also on that note, when she did buy me the shampoo, I used it with high hopes that my hair would smell as magical as my friend’s did.. but it didn’t. My hair has like, the anti-scent. It never smells bad, but it never smells good. It just.. is. <and that is probably the most profound statement I’ll ever make about my hair.

Anywaaay, one day after some random fight about god-knows-what, my mom suggested I make new friends. Being a child, I didn’t really know what this entailed, so I did what any normal kid would have done: I began stalking random people on the playground until I found a potential friend.

She had red hair and freckles and I noticed she was two grades younger than me. She wore cute clothes and seemed kinda shy, always lurking around the monkey bars. And just like a predator chooses its prey, I had my victim.

The next day, I decided to lay on my creepiness. Instead of walking up to this girl, casually engage in conversation or begin playing with her, I did what I thought was the most normal thing a kid who needed friends could do: I wrote her a letter. A letter. It basically went something like this:

Dear Crystal,
My mom says I need to make new friends and you seem really cool, so would you like to be my friend?
From, Hayley (the girl in the pink raincoat)

I walked my letter over, handed it to her, and raced back to a save spot where I could spy on her while she read it and inevitably realized that this friendship was kismet and we were bound to be BFFs. Instead, she walked back to me, handed me the letter and turned away. I opened it:

No.

So basically, the moral of the story is this: if your kid is complaining that the kids at school are lame, don’t pressure them to make new friends. Friendships form organically and spontaneously .. they aren’t something that’s forced like a blind date or a letter from a strange girl spying on you from the basketball court. And while there is a great possibility you’ll remain besties with your childhood friend for as long as you both shall live, likely you’ll just grow up and watch them make hideous choices and you can be like, thank god I didn’t write that whack-job a letter!

That’s essentially what I did. Because, not to brag or anything, but Crystal is totally gross now. I should know–I Facebook stalked her. And no, I didn’t friend her.. those days are looooong over.

12 miniature pies (I used frozen raspberry ones that I thawed, but really, any flavor would work!)

1 pkg Candiquik

2 tsp raspberry gelatin

Raspberries

Instructions

If your pies are frozen, make sure you thaw them out. If they're ready, let's rock and roll!!

Cut your brownies into about 1-2" squares. Take a brownie square and gently press it into the heel of your hand to flatten it. Wrap the brownie around one of the pies, trying to cover the pie completely. If some of the pie peeks out, no big deal--just cover it as much as possible.

Once all the bombs are made, pop them in the freezer for about an hour to firm up. Once firmed, melt your Candiquik according to package directions. Stir in the raspberry gelatin to combine.

Dip each bomb into the chocolate mixture, coating completely and allowing excess to drip off. Place on a foil-lined baking sheet and top with a rinsed fresh raspberry. You could also top with a gummy raspberry if you have those on hand, too!

I loved the difference in flavor and texture these bombs had to offer. Between the chewy, fudgy brownie surrounding that flaky, crisp crust and the luscious, fresh berry center, these bombs were such a unique and decadent treat. I am SO excited to try this bomb recipe with different flavors of pies! I am dreaming of pecan, apple, and peach.. but really, the possibilities are limitless! Look for miniature pies in the bakery section of your local grocery store, or look in the frozen desserts section! I have found miniature pies/tarts both places in multiple flavors, so see what looks best once you’re there and go with it

Happy Eating!

xo, Hayley

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Some of you may know, but I recently got a new “grown-up” job. It’s the most adult-y job I’ve had in ever. I’m getting my own cubicle. And phone line (!!!) and business email. And OMG, it’s the kinda job that asks you to wear “business casual.” In other words, I have made it to the adult world, people.*
*not really

And while I really enjoy the job so far, I feel like a complete fish who’s out of water, on Mars and wearing a Richard Simmons face mask, like WHUTTTT THE HELLLL IS GOING ONNNN. Tooooootally out of my element, y’all.

First of all, it’s set in an office building where there is no music playing, no sounds being made except for the low hum of a printer in the distance which basically goes against my religion. No music? No sounds? I mean, people literally type so softly that the sound is undetectable by the human ear. And seriously, you can’t even hear anyone breathe.

So you can imagine my general embarrassment when I walk down the hallways wearing clinking jewelry, combat boots thumping, swishy skirt swishing, and my typical-human breathing patterns clambering along like a bull in a china shop. Or in the Matrix. Whatever’s quieter.

And I get all these stares from the workers like WHY IS SHE BREATHING IN MY SPACE? and I look at them all self-conscious like, I’m sorry I’m breathing, y’all! I’ll try to keep my lungs silent as to not disrupt your delicate workflow!

So basically I’ve become REALLY good at holding my breath.

And second of all, I have been taking the business casual thing as “wear what I usually do except with slightly less sparkle.” That still hasn’t stopped me from wearing a tutu and combat boots, or from dressing up as a cowgirl one day. Oh yes I did. And I’m kinda getting the impression they’re not taking the girl wearing costumes seriously. But honestly, just because I’m working in an office doesn’t mean I need to dress so drab. Plus, slacks and loafers are against my moral codes. Do I look like I own a pair of khakis? No. So let me wear my damn peplums and sky-high booties in peace!!

It’s taking me quite some time to adjust to holding my breath and reign in my craziness. I just can’t wait until cubicle day so I can string up some Christmas lights, hang a beaded curtain as my door, and maybe install a stationary bike in the corner by my bonzai garden.

Until then, I’m trying to win over these folks with my craziness, and a good way to do that is with food. Crazy good food that will make you scream and dance and dress up like a cowgirl to work on Thursdays. Just do it, people.

Awhile ago, a sweetie pie friend of The Domestic Rebel suggested through Facebook that I make a brownie bomb featuring carrot cake. I experimented a little with my Red Velvet Cheesecake Brownie Bombs, and finally found a recipe for the carrot cake version that’s sweet, spicy, tangy, and totally explosively awesome.

But mainly I just want you to make it so you’ll dress up like a cowgirl, too. Yeehaw!!

*For this recipe, I used cheesecake bites I picked up from my local yogurt shop. Most yogurt shops have them in the cold part of their toppings, so pick some up to use if you can't find a prebaked cheesecake in the store!

**The carrot cake M&M's were a seasonal item this past spring, so if you have some on hand still, use them! If not, these would taste awesome with almond M&M's, pretzel M&M's, white chocolate, or even regular!

In a large bowl, combine the cake mix, eggs and oil with a rubber spatula until a soft dough forms. Press the dough evenly into the prepared pan and bake for approx. 12-14 minutes or until it just barely looks set and is barely golden. Cool completely.

IF USING ROUND CHEESECAKE, scoop rounded Tablespoons of the cheesecake out with a cookie dough scoop and place them on a foil-rimmed baking sheet. IF USING CHEESECAKE BITES, scoop the bites out of the container and gently compress in the cookie dough scoop; drop by rounded Tablespoonfuls onto the foil-rimmed baking sheet. Freeze the cheesecake balls for about 2 hours or until firm.

Once the bars have cooled, cut them into about 1" sized squares. Take a square in your hand and gently press it with the heel of your hand to flatten it slightly. Wrap the carrot cake brownie around the cheesecake ball, enclosing the cheesecake ball inside. If it doesn't completely cover the cheesecake, that's okay; just cover as much as you can. Return the coated cheesecake bombs to the sheet and freeze for about 30 minutes to set.

Prepare the Candiquik according to package directions. Stir in the cinnamon. Dip each bomb into the chocolate, coating completely and allowing excess to drip off. Top with a carrot cake M&M, or regular-flavored M&M. Serve immediately, or store leftovers in the fridge or freezer.

**I noticed that the carrot cake brownie was not as fudgy as an actual brownie (naturally). If your carrot cake brownies are not as moist as they should be, consider crumbling them slightly into a large bowl and adding a Tablespoon or two of canned frosting or softened cream cheese, then combine the two like you would a cake pop. The frosting will add some added moisture and tackiness to the brownie so it will better adhere.**

My coworkers FLIPPED for these fantastic carrot cake bombs! The creamy cheesecake filling, the spicy carrot cake blanket around it, and the smooth and warm cinnamon white chocolate all made for a delectable little bite of delicious carrot cake. As I mentioned in the recipe notes, I used the cheesecake bites most commonly found at frozen yogurt shops and they worked out great (and were a little cheaper than buying a whole premade cheesecake!) Either way you bite it, anything stuffed with cheesecake, smothered in brownie and coated in chocolate is going to be awesome!!